War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) in the context of "Zviad Gamsakhurdia"

Sukhumi or Sokhumi is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of Abkhazia, a partially recognized state that most countries consider a part of Georgia. The city has been controlled by Abkhazia since the Abkhazian war in 1992–93. The city, which has an airport, is a port, major rail junction and a holiday resort because of its beaches, sanatoriums, mineral-water spas and semitropical climate. It is also a member of the International Black Sea Club.

Sukhumi's history can be traced to the 6th century BC, when it was settled by Greeks, who named it Dioscurias. During this time and the subsequent Roman period, much of the city disappeared under the Black Sea. The city was named Tskhumi when it became part of the Kingdom of Abkhazia and then the Kingdom of Georgia. Contested by local princes, it became part of the Ottoman Empire in the 1570s, where it remained disputed until it was conquered by the Russian Empire in 1810.

The Abkhazia conflict is a territorial dispute over Abkhazia, a region on the eastern coast of the Black Sea in the South Caucasus, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The conflict involves Georgia, the Russian Federation and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia, which is internationally recognised only by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria; Georgia and all other United Nations members consider Abkhazia a sovereign territory of Georgia. However, as of 2025, Georgia lacks de facto control over the territory.

The beginning of the conflict dates back to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991; however, the dispute can be traced to 1918—1919 Abkhazia conflict over Sukhumi okrug (which corresponds to the Abkhazia region) between the Georgian Democratic Republic, White Russia and the Russian SFSR. Since 1989, the conflict has involved several wars: the 1992—1993 War in Abkhazia, the 1998 War in Abkhazia and the 2008 Russo-Georgian War.

Vladislav Ardzinba Sukhum International Airport (IATA: SUI, ICAO: URAS), formerly known as Sukhumi Babushara and Sukhumi Dranda (IATA: SUI, ICAO: UGSS) is the main airport of Abkhazia. It is located in the village of Babushara next to the larger village of Dranda and some 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Sukhumi, the capital of the unrecognised republic of Abkhazia.

On 1 May 2025, Sukhum airport resumed operations and direct flights with Moscow for the first time since the 1990s and the war in Abkhazia.

The Abkhazian Armed Forces (Abkhaz: Абџьарирқәу Амҷқәа Аԥсны; Russian: Вооружённые силы Абхазии) are the military forces of Abkhazia. The forces were officially created on 12 October 1992, after the outbreak of the 1992–1993 war with Georgia. The basis of the armed forces was formed by the ethnic Abkhaz National Guard. The Abkhaz military is primarily a ground force but includes small sea and air units. According to the authorities of the Republic of Abkhazia, the Abkhazian Land Forces are organised along the Swiss model – in time of peace they have personnel of 3,000 to 5,000 and in case of war further 40–50,000 reservists are called out. Georgia regards the Abkhaz armed forces as "unlawful military formations" and accuses Russia of supplying and training the Abkhaz troops.

The Kodori Valley, also known as the Kodori Gorge (Georgian: კოდორის ხეობა, Abkhaz: Кәыдырҭа, romanized: Kwydyrta), is a river valley in Abkhazia, a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus. The valley's upper part, populated by Svans, was the only corner of the post-1993 Abkhazia directly controlled by the central Georgian government, which since 2006 officially styles the area as Upper Abkhazia (Geo. ზემო აფხაზეთი, Zemo Apkhazeti). On August 12, 2008, Russo–Abkhazian forces gained control of the Upper Kodori Valley, previously controlled by Georgia.

The Sochi agreement (official title in Russian: «Cоглашение о принципах мирного урегулирования грузино-осетинского конфликта»), also known as the Dagomys Agreements (Дагомысские соглашения), was a ceasefire agreement ostensibly marking the end of both the South Ossetia War and Abkhazian War, signed in Sochi on June 24, 1992 between Georgia and Russia, the ceasefire with Abkhazia on July 27, 1993.

The Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus (CMPC; Russian: Конфедерация горских народов Кавказа (КГНК); until 1991 known as Assembly of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus) was a militarised political organisation in the North Caucasus, active around the time of before the collapse of the Soviet Union and after, between 1989 and 2000. It played a decisive role in the 1992–1993 war between Abkhazia and Georgia, rallying militants from the North Caucasian republics. Its forces have been accused by Georgia of committing war crimes, including the ethnic cleansing of Georgians. The Confederation has been inactive since the assassination of its second leader, Yusup Soslanbekov, in 2000.

The Battle of Sukhumi occurred from 16 to 27 September 1993, between the Abkhaz separatists, along with their Russian and North Caucasian backers, and Georgia, being the last engagement of the War in Abkhazia.

The battle began on 16 September, when the separatists, aided by the local Russian military base, launched their offensive on Sukhumi, the capital city of the region, amidst the escalation of the Georgian Civil War. Georgians, having withdrawn most of their military equipment from the city following the ceasefire agreement, which was supposed to put an end to the military conflict, were caught by surprise, outgunned and outnumbered, which allowed the separatists to almost encircle and besiege the city, cutting its vital communication lines with the rest of Georgia. Although the warring sides in the Georgian Civil War made a deal to unify their forces to break the siege, they were still unable to coordinate effectively and on time, and thus on 27 September, the city fell to the separatists. The disorganized Georgian forces were unable to mount a proper defence and chaotically retreated, which resulted in the separatists capturing most of the region by 30 September, thus ending the 13-month long war.